HTML uses a hyperlink to link to another
document on the Web.
Examples
Create
hyperlinks
This example demonstrates how to create links in an HTML document.
An
image as a link
This example demonstrates how to use an image as a link.
(You can find more examples at the bottom of this page)
The Anchor Tag and the Href Attribute
HTML uses the <a> (anchor) tag to create a link to
another document.
An anchor can point to any resource on the Web: an HTML page,
an image, a sound file, a movie, etc.
The syntax of creating an anchor:
<a href="url">Text to be displayed</a> |
The <a> tag is used to create an anchor to link from,
the href attribute is used to address the document to link to, and the words
between the open and close of the anchor tag will be displayed as a hyperlink.
This anchor defines a link to W3Schools:
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com/">Visit W3Schools!</a> |
The line above will look like this in a browser:
The Target Attribute
With the target attribute, you can define where the
linked document will be opened.
The line below will open the document in a new browser window:
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com/" |
The Anchor Tag and the Name Attribute
The name attribute is used to create a named anchor. When
using named anchors we can create links that can jump directly into a specific
section on a page, instead of letting the user scroll around to find what he/she
is looking for.
Below is the syntax of a named anchor:
<a name="label">Text to be displayed</a> |
The name attribute is used to create a named anchor. The name
of the anchor can be any text you care to use.
The line below defines a named anchor:
<a name="tips">Useful Tips Section</a> |
You should notice that a named anchor is not displayed in a
special way.
To link directly to the "tips" section, add a # sign
and the name of the anchor to the end of a URL, like this:
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com/html_links.asp#tips"> |
A hyperlink to the Useful Tips Section from WITHIN the file
"html_links.asp" will look like this:
<a href="#tips">Jump to the Useful Tips Section</a> |
Basic Notes - Useful Tips
Always add a trailing slash to subfolder references. If you
link like this: href="http://www.w3schools.com/html", you will
generate two HTTP requests to the server, because the server will add a slash to
the address and create a new request like this:
href="http://www.w3schools.com/html/"
Named anchors are often used to create "table of
contents" at the beginning of a large document. Each chapter within the
document is given a named anchor, and links to each of these anchors are put at
the top of the document.
If a browser cannot find a named anchor that has been
specified, it goes to the top of the document. No error occurs.
More Examples
Open
a link in a new browser window
This example demonstrates how to link to another page by opening a new window,
so that the visitor does not have to leave your Web site.
Link
to a location on the same page
This example demonstrates how to use a link to jump to another part of a
document.
Break
out of a frame
This example demonstrates how to break out of a frame, if your site is locked in
a frame.
Create
a mailto link
This example demonstrates how to link to a mail message (will only work if you
have mail installed).
Create
a mailto link 2
This example demonstrates a more complicated mailto link.
Link Tags
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| <a> | Defines an anchor |
